I think with most sports there's some "natural affinity" built in. Some people have those perfect muscle/bone structures. Some people have great cardiovascular systems. Some people are built like little teapots: short and stout.

It might not be a question of whether you can run, because you can probably teach your body to do it over a long period of time. The question is whether you can tolerate it while you're learning.

I work with a guy who is going to run a marathon in October based solely on two and sometimes three 12-mile runs a week, nothing longer. He runs 7-8 minute miles, and some days I hate him. However, if we were to bike the same distance, I can ride 20mph and he's riding 13mph. Go teapots! Those thunder thighs are good for somethin'.

I find running victories satisfying, because I know they are harder for me than they are for other people. I can't help but feel slow, but the more I work at it, the better my body gets at "remembering" how to run.